Anyone got a beagle?

[cantremembermyname]

Just like to hear about anyone's experience with beagles please. We've always had cavaliers, but sadly we had to have one put to sleep last year. I've been waiting for dd to be more out of the baby stage until we got another puppy, and I'm thinking after Christmas. We still have a cavalier, he's nearly 9, and we have 3 dc's, aged 7, 4 and 2 (although, after Christmas they'll be 7, 5 and 3!)

I've looked into the best recommended dogs with children, and a beagle sounds perfect for us (plus the boys have fallen in love with them). Previously, we had the dogs before the children arrived (or were even planned!) So it wasn't an issue.

Any advice please?

Cantremembermyname - am sure you are probably disappointed by the advice but seriously, unset your heart off the beagle! Go for a breed that is much easier - you have enough on your plate with 3 young dc

Ha, I remember the ten mile hikes with my beagle. She'd still be pulling on the lead at the end. She was adorable and slept in between me and DH.

But I would never have a beagle again, we didn't decide to get a beagle, she turned up on our doorstep and no-one claimed her when we tried to find an owner. Quelle surprise.

She regularly escaped, once ending up being hit by a car. A beautiful loving dog, but I stick with labs now.

Met a beagle at my dog training classes last week. Proper full beagle, with excellent recall. The secret is that the owner has only ever hand fed her dog, so the dog has to work for all its food and always comes back when called. So that is something you could consider if you do get one.

Neeps.

Sorry. I hand fed the little bugger every single sodding meal from the moment we brought him home and yet his recall just disappears when he gets on a scent. He's not being naughty, he generally can't control himself.

Some beagles have much stronger instincts than others, a small minority can resist their urge to hunt but most simply can't.

I don't mean to disagree with you - clearly your friend has worked really hard at training but she is also massively lucky. Its very easy to do all the right stuff and still end up stood in the rain with an empty lead and no dog wondering if you'll even see it again.

Sugar, I can well believe it, I think this is an exceptional beagle. She even takes it out cycling through the forest! She was a first-time dog owner too. Very lucky.

We had a beagle x previously. Recall was non-existant. And was also an escape artist.

I love the looks of beagles but it's not a breed I would ever have again, as for me one of the pleasures of dog ownership is offlead walking and the dog pottering around the garden with you, without always having to worry whether someone has left the gate open.

Thank you everyone for your replies, dh and I talked at length last night, and we've decided on another cavalier. The boys aren't keen on springers for some reason, but they are quite happy with another cavalier (as long as they pick the colour) So everyone's quite happy. Disappointed about the beagle, but maybe someday when the dc's are all grown up .

Thank you again, think I would've made a huge mistake, and I would have had to live with it, because I don't think I'd have had the heart to rehome him once we'd got him.

Sounds like a good decision - I've never met a cav that wasn't a sweetie (though I did know one which was obsessed with trying to chase cars and sadly met his end when he slipped the lead) - and I'm sure you know that you need to be careful to get one that's had all the genetic screenings etc as there are quite a lot of potential serious issues.

Thought of this thread this morning when for the second day running, Dad-who-has-just-got-a-beagle-cos-the-kids-think-they're-cute flung his kids throughout the gate and hurried back to the car in an embarrassed panic as the pup was howling its head off and general going crazy.

He is very gorgeous though, I can totally see why unwitting peeps without the power of Mumsnet fall for them.

My neighbour has a rescue Beagle. They are not fast running dogs, but he never lets him off the lead in the fields as he has no recall. The most unusual thing about him is his very loud, deep resonant bark. He is not friendly with other males but loves my little miss. Very greedy with his food.
My neighbour is a man so didn't want a pretty fluffy thing like mine. A lady in the fields has 2 smaller Beagles who move faster and are obedient. They are white, brown and black. Neighbour's is a lovely cream/beige colour.